Migrant Head Start Annual Report FY 2012

Service Area

The Department of Human Services (DHS) provides services through contractual agreements with seven agencies throughout Illinois, serving the entire state and two counties of Indiana. Contractual providers are:

  • Del Valle Migrant Head Start, in Oswego,
  • Rainbow Learning, in Kankakee and Sheldon,
  • Leaps and Bounds, in Princeville,
  • Migrant Education, in Cobden,
  • Multi-cultural Community Center, in Rantoul,
  • Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, in East St. Louis, and
  • Tri-County Opportunities, in Mendota.

Funding

The Head Start program is funded by: the U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start, and by Illinois General Revenue through the Bureau of Child Care. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reimburses meal costs through the Child and Adult Care Food Program administered by the State Board of Education.

Source of Cash Amount Percent of Cash Budget
HHS/ACF/OHS $3,056,821 80%
IL General Revenue 670,480 18%
USDA 100,979 2%

Budget Information

Eighty-four percent of the total budget is allocated to delegate program operations, under the contractual line item. Non-federal share is raised through agency and private donations of cash, goods, and services.

Line Item ACF Cash Match Cash Non-Match In-Kind Donations USDA Proposed Budget Expenditures % Spent
Salaries $244,200 $244,200 $244,110 99.96%
Fringe Benefits $166,400 $166,400 $166,341 99.96%
Travel $8,000 $8,000 $4,908 61.35%
Equipment $0 $0 0.00%
Supplies $1,016 $1,016 $235 23.13%
Contractual $53,288 $31,146 $84,434 $72,079 85.37%
Delegates $2,583,917 $497,061 $172,987 $201,122 $100,979 $3,556,066 $3,555,510 99.98%
Total $3,056,821 $497,061 $172,987 $232,268 $100,979 $4,060,116 $4,043,183 99.58%

Enrollment

Periods of center operations are based on parents' work seasons: from eight weeks in one location to seven months in another. In FY 2012, 517 children were enrolled, from 351 families. Average monthly enrollment was 53%.

Audits

There were no findings related to DHS Migrant and Seasonal Head Start in the fiscal year. The ACF triennial review of 2010 found two minor non-compliance items, both of which were corrected.

Medical and Dental Examinations

Of children aged three through five years, 90% received dental examinations. Ninety-one percent of all children received a physical examination. Eighty-nine children were in attendance for fewer than 30 days, and for that reason, may not have completed their examinations.

Parent Involvement Activities

Head Start parents are involved in the governance of the program at the local level through the Policy Committee, which makes decisions jointly with the board of directors of the agency. Each delegate Committee elects representatives to the Policy Council, which meets seven times each year to make state-level decisions. In conjunction with the DHS Advisory Board, this group approves or rejects annual grant budget applications, personnel policies, and enrollment priorities and other program policies.

Coordinators visit families monthly to help parents set and realize their own goals, and to support them in helping their children learn. Programs offer educational opportunities for parents based on their interests and needs:

  • Parenting classes
  • G.E.D. instruction
  • Marriage encounters
  • Fatherhood sessions
  • English-as-a-second-language classes
  • Women's awareness groups
  • Financial management training
  • Family activities
  • Prevention of child abuse and domestic violence sessions
  • Intergenerational literacy activities
  • Computer classes
  • Health and nutrition information.

Preparing Children

Goals for the children's "school readiness" have been aligned with the Illinois Early Learning Standards and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. Each child's development is assessed, and his progress measured in three domains.

Education Coordinators quantify the interaction between teachers and children through use of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, a standardized observational tool. Data from the 40 classrooms is aggregated and analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational program. In the three areas measured, program scores exceeded the Head Start thresholds.

Programs facilitate the children's transition to public school by providing educational workshops for parents, arranging meetings with the district personnel, and assisting parents to register.